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Presteigne supports Hogmanay celebrations

posted:

27/01/2016

Event coverage package helps ring in the New Year

Presteigne Broadcast Hire provided all technology, project management, and system design for the video transmission system used by Edinburgh-based and Avesco Group sister company mclcreate Ltd. for the live coverage of Scotland’s traditional Hogmanay celebrations across the multiple city centre locations.

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mclcreate Ltd. worked with event producer Unique Events’ production management team, led by Rab Randall and assisted by Nigel Kippax in providing technical support services for the coverage in Edinburgh.

Presteigne provided 18 RF links and three channels of city centre-wide radio talkback capabilities between three major performance stages, eight large screens and an emergency PA system throughout the festivities.

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Presteigne CEO Mike Ransome said, “I can't think of another annual UK event that requires as many simultaneous point-to-point RF links from a single supplier. By comparison, the Grand National usually requires 10-12 RF links.”

Because multiple stages and screens were spread throughout Edinburgh, not all were within line of sight, so two repeater points were incorporated into the plan. Presteigne began rigging and testing in Edinburgh on 29 December with transmission starting at 11.00 AM on the 31st, finishing at approximately 2.00 AM on New Year’s Day.

Ransome adds, “We have provided technology and support for many Hogmanay’s in the past, but never quite on this scale. The requirements change to some degree every year, and this year due to public demand a new, larger location was needed to host the old town Ceilidh beside St Giles Cathedral. Our challenge was to get signals to and from a small courtyard at St Giles Cathedral with no obvious RF path to any existing site. However, with our previous experience and careful planning, we created suitable methods to overcome the geographic limitations.

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“The only remaining challenges were logistical. Our crew had very little time to rig, test, and derig all of the sites. Many of the big screens didn’t arrive until the day of transmission, and once the celebrations were over all areas needed to be de-rigged, cleared, and returned to normal by morning. Again, although it was a quick turnaround, our experience enabled us to complete the process safely and efficiently.”

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In addition to all equipment, pre-planning, and project management, Presteigne secured frequency use, designed the overall system, and organised transport logistics to ensure the timely delivery of a fully functioning system. The project was backed up and serviced on site by Presteigne engineers.

About mclcreate Ltd.
For over 25 years mclcreate have been providing a huge range of technical solutions for amazing events. Now, they are offering innovative creative solutions too.
This makes mclcreate the first genuine one-stop-shop for your event.
They have both the technical know-how and creative expertise, so are well placed to deliver valuable experiences. You’ll see excellent value in everything that mclcreate do. They’re extremely cost effective because they own all their own equipment which means that they have one of the largest AV rental stocks in the UK, whilst at the same time they add real value by helping you evaluate what your event requires.
For your event to be a success it must be a memorable experience. So, mclcreate use their creative and technical expertise to make sure that your event really resonates with everyone who attends.

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About Unique Events
Founded in the early 1990s and based in Edinburgh, Unique Events is Scotland’s leading events and festivals creation company.
Unique has created and produced a huge range of events throughout Scotland, from sports gatherings to street parties, classical music to rock/pop festivals; an unparalleled range of indoor and outdoor, ticketed and free events.
Unique specialises in large-scale public events and festivals working closely with government agencies, local authorities and enterprise companies as well as the private sector.
With over 30 years’ experience within the event and music industry, director Pete Irvine has a small dedicated full-time team engaged throughout the year on a selected portfolio of projects working with Scotland’s top freelance Event Producers to deliver specific events.

About Presteigne Broadcast Hire
Presteigne Broadcast Hire is a leading dry hire and complete multi-location production solution provider. Established in 1992, with offices in the UK and operating globally, Presteigne Broadcast Hire has the expertise to offer worldwide solutions to meet a wide range of production needs. Their rental department is one of the most comprehensive in the industry, with access to over 30,000 items of equipment, while specialising in project solutions where they bring their extensive RF, Audio, Video, EVS, HD and 3D divisions together to offer customers a unique and seamless broadcasting experience.